Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and TNO make progress in knowledge and innovation in the workplace

Ingrid Weima, account manager at TNO, explains: 'We see that the knowledge we have built up is now really landing on the work floor. Practical applications are emerging that address the challenges of the Marechaussee, such as a more international and digital work environment where human capacity is supported by new technology or new tools.'

A concrete example of this is the knowledge about risk management in the border domain. This has been developed over the past few years in a European research project TRESSPASS with multiple countries and both universities and companies. This knowledge is now being used to create a risk-based border tool for all border control locations at the external and internal borders (air, maritime, and land - rail and road).

Another example is the use of robots in the tasks of the Marechaussee. Miguel Paulino of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee says: 'Robotics can really help us with dangerous work and in situations where we have to operate with fewer personnel. We are now working on the first applications for perimeter security, but this involves a lot of development and research with a broad scientific field.'

Irene van Kemenade and Sananda Dieleman from the Directorate of Strategy, Knowledge, and Innovation of the Marechaussee explain: 'The knowledge and innovation process is a careful process and proceeds in different phases. Starting with fundamental research, through knowledge building to practical application.' This ‘train’, as Weima calls it, ensures that the acquired knowledge can be converted into usable technology more quickly, where necessary in collaboration with the business community.

The collaboration focuses not only on technology but also on working methods, personnel policy, ethics, and the integration of new knowledge into the organization. In addition to robotics, the team is working on projects in the field of data and intelligence, future border surveillance, and national military deployment.

This joint effort by TNO and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee demonstrates the importance of looking ahead and investing in knowledge building. The result: innovative solutions that help the KMar work more effectively and efficiently in an increasingly complex world.